Donald Trump Still Wants Russia Back in G7 [Video]

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants Russia to be invited back to join the Group of Seven (G7) major economies.

Why It Matters

The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. These economies dominate global trade. Russia was a member of the “G8” until 2014 when it was expelled from the group in response to its annexation of Crimea, part of Ukraine.

What To Know

Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would “love to be back” in the group and that the country “should be sitting at the table.”

“I’d love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8,” Trump said at the White House when he announced new U.S. reciprocal tariffs.